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VOL. 16 DECEMBER 2016 THE SILVERBACK STANDARD

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF COLLABORATION FOR

CONSERVATION

New Comer in Igisha Group IGCP IGCP Group Igisha in Comer New © Photo for for Photo ©

Tuyishime and her baby | SUSA Group | VNP | Photo by Faustin Nibishaka | RDB

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme, a unique coalition of international conservation organizations, this year celebrates 25 years. Our Silverback Anniversary. We took this anniversary as an opportunity for deeper reflection and exploration of this programme’s critical contribution to mountain gorilla conservation and as well as the extent the programme is able to contribute to a collective response to the crisis impacting the Grauers gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In August, Dr. José Kalpers delivered This global support back-stopped a locally-relevant and locally- an incredible key note address at driven regional programme built upon mutual respect, common the Conversation on Conservation objectives and collaborative action. held in Kigali. He shared with a large audience a powerful personal This is a programme that has been owned, cherished, and reflection on what has transpired championed by so many. It has been championed at all over three decades in the region levels - from those on the front line, deep in the forest day-in based on the effort of individuals and day-out, to political leaders, and those of you who care and institutions alike, including a from all over the world. recount of his personal experiences Together we have achieved so much. working with IGCP in the early, dynamic years of the programme. It IGCP’s current staff with their exceptional and complimentary Anna Behm Masozera skills and expertise, are gearing up to further strengthen the Director, IGCP was an inspiration to me, and many others present. role IGCP plays as a decision-support entity to Protected Area Managers and the regional Greater Virunga Transboundary This year also gave us the opportunity to witness our current Collaboration. We will further strengthen our ability to Board Chair, Mark Rose, CEO of FFI, return to Rwanda to advocate for and support best practice approaches. bestow a name to a newborn gorilla, and to also represent one of our greatest global champions, Sir David Attenborough, as Our reflections and refinements to our work, building on he named a gorilla from a distance. what has been accomplished to date, can be summarized in our new tagline I am privileged Sir David’s iconic visit to mountain gorillas in the late 1970s, to announce on this Silverback RS O YEA F C 25 O caught on film and shared with millions, was the call to action LL anniversary – Securing the G A IN B T O which stimulated collaborative and innovative initiatives with A future for mountain gorillas. R R A

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global support which is what evolved to become the International I

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Gorilla Conservation Programme of today. C MOUNTAIN GORI IGCP copyright of are The IGCP logo, and all other marks contained herein ©2016 IGCP . All rights reserved. IGCP Brand Guidelines Brand Elements Brand Elements IGCP Brand Guidelines FOR LLA IGCP copyright of are The IGCP logo, and all other marks contained herein ©2016 IGCP . All rights reserved.

CO ON NSERVATI 1

International Gorilla Conservation Programme Newsletter | Dec 2016 | www.igcp.org IGCP Welcomes New Board Member Dr. Margaret Kinnaird, has joined the Board of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, representing the coalition member WWF. On October 1, 2016, Dr. Kinnaird joined WWF as Wildlife Practice Leader on behalf of the global network and is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

“I am Proud to Work with IGCP”-Says proud to know and work with the IGCP. Attending the dinner also, were, former IGCP staff Eugene Rutagarama and José Mark Rose Kalpers and the FFI representative from the DRC, Ms. Mbake Sihva. It was a an exciting time for the IGCP team to meet and share with the current IGCP Board Chairperson, Mark Rose – Chief Executive Officer of Fauna & Flora International. Mark Rose was in the region to attend the 12th mountain gorilla naming ceremony (Kwita Izina) held in Rwanda.

During this year’s Kwita Izina one of the great wildlife conservationist advocates and famous television broadcaster – Sir David Attenborough –was delighted to name one baby gorilla –Inshungu from Pablo family born to mother Mukecuru.

Unable to attend the event in person, Sir Attenborough made a short video at the Rwanda High Commission in the UK that was later shown during the Kwita Izina ceremony. He was however represented and introduced at the function by Mr. Rose.

The IGCP staff were privileged to share dinner with Mr. Rose

at Jack Hanna’s residence in Kinigi and to have one-on-one

New Comer in Igisha Group IGCP IGCP Group Igisha in Comer New © Photo for Mark Rose andfor teamPhoto © shortly before the dinner at Jack Hanna’s moments with him. Commenting about IGCP’s work and residence. Photo by Ngenzi Jean Jacque IGCP his time with IGCP staff, Mark Rose revealed that he was

IGCP Conducts a Mid-term Programme Review IGCP, with technical and financial support from the coalition of Fauna This helped in building a picture of how much & Flora International and WWF, is engaging stakeholders and partners has been accomplished with the programme and towards conservation objectives and outcomes by 2020. In order what still needs to be done or focused on. to ensure that IGCP achieves its objectives, a midterm review was commissioned, which started by a complete staff assessment facilitated Gary Tabor, the partner reviewer working with by one of the two consultants, Elizabeth O’Neill, on August 11 at the O’Neill, joined on August 12 for field visits to programme’s Directorate in Kigali. Presentations were made by all staff as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi self-assessments of their work in light of their contribution to programme Impenetrable National Park in , Virunga objectives, result areas and challenges encountered. National Park in DRC, and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Tabor and O’Neill separating in order to cover as much area as possible within one week.

During the field visits, the consultants met and shared with different IGCP partners and beneficiaries about IGCP’s interventions, and conducted follow up interviews with internal and external partner organizations.

The consultants have completed their work, which has been presented to IGCP for uptake within programme design and approach. A public version of the review report will be shared on the IGCP website.

Some members of the community in DRC meeting with Gary Tabor. Photo by, Gary Tabor

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IGCP copyright of are The IGCP logo, and all other marks contained herein ©2016 IGCP . All rights reserved. IGCP Brand Guidelines Brand Elements InternationalBrand Elements IGCP Brand Guidelines Gorilla Conservation Programme Newsletter | Dec 2016 | www.igcp.org IGCP copyright of are The IGCP logo, and all other marks contained herein ©2016 IGCP . All rights reserved. Country Specific Context of theIGCP Interventions in the Region While IGCP is a regional programme, the IGCP coordinators in each country here below share a country-specific context of IGCP work, milestones and future focus, with the aim of creating deeper understanding of the Programme.

Rwanda including; ranger based monitoring: regional collaboration with other park managers in the Virunga Massif and the community living around the protected area: tourism development: IGCP gorilla water projects and human wildlife conflict management.

Moving forward, IGCP plans to strengthen and also scale up the afore mentioned initiatives and to explore other new approaches like putting land use issues around Volcanoes National Park in the context within a larger landscape to help orient actions toward specific objectives to secure the future for mountain gorillas and improving sustainable livelihoods with complimentary land use which can continue to address human wildlife conflict. In the implementation of its Programme, IGCP closely works with the Rwanda Development Board, the Benjamin Mugabukomeye Ministry of Natural Resources, international and local NGOs working on gorilla conservation and the community. The Twenty five years of working in Rwanda - IGCP Rwanda is collaboration and support of these partners and stakeholders proud to mention that a number of milestones have been means a lot to the IGCP. registered, for instance; strengthened collaboration with national and local leadership, the community around the Volcanoes National Park and other conservation partners: increased household income and improved livelihoods through community supported enterprises: implementation of improved land use and climate change management practices: community development through

tourism revenue: access to safe and clean water by

IGCP Group Igisha in Comer New © Photo for for Photo © communities around the park allowing for a consequent reduction of human presence and illegal activities in the park, and easier monitoring and identification of gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park.

These achievements have been realized through the Members of KOOPAV Cooperative in Kinigi,Musanze display some of their handcrafts. Photo by Benjamin Mugabukomeye/IGCP several actions/programs undertaken and or supported Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

the dependence of riparian communities for the development of responsible tourism to natural resources, IGCP interventions that benefits the local communities in Virunga have focused on the empowerment of National Park, the revitalization of the park authorities to undertake action for the transboundary aspect of management and improved management of the gorilla range the pursuit of law enforcement. In Kahuzi- in order to prevent harm to the gorillas and Biega National Park where the IGCP has more their habitat. These interventions include recently engaged, we shall work with on-the- law enforcement, regular gorilla and habitat ground partners to ensure that threats to the monitoring, and mitigation of human-wildlife Grauer’s gorillas are curbed, by supporting the conflicts. park management and stakeholders develop robust tourism and research plans. Altor Musema Good results have been recorded by IGCP in collaboration with other partners In DRC, IGCP works with the park working in the Mikeno sector of Virunga (ICCN) authorities and the surrounding National Park, for instance; the number of communities to ensure the long term gorillas has continued to increase despite survival of the mountain gorillas and wars and instability, ecological damages recently contributing as part of a larger to the mountain gorilla habitat have consortium to Grauer’ s gorillas. been contained and its limits have not been encroached, increased community Thus, the IGCP intervention area is participation and support towards human- the Mikeno Sector in the extreme wildlife conflict mitigation measures. south of the and A gorilla found outside Virunga National park eating maize its surroundings. As the eastern DRC With new opportunities like improved security, in one of the community gardens – A main cause of Human wild life conflict challenge. Photo by Gorilla doctors. has experienced political and security provision of electricity around Mikeno, IGCP instability during the past two decades, will continue to work with all stakeholders exacerbating poverty and increasing 3

Brand Elements IGCP Brand Guidelines copyright of IGCP are The IGCP logo, and all other marks contained herein ©2016 IGCP . All rights reserved. International Gorilla Conservation Programme Newsletter | Dec 2016 | www.igcp.org UGANDA

Stephen Asuma and some UWA officials talk to a tea farmer during their visit of the tea farms in Bujengwe parish.

Specific field locations Effective collection and use of data collected from of IGCP operations are research or dedicated programmes like the ranger- in the south western based monitoring has also increased management Ugandan districts of effectiveness through information based decision Rubanda (recently curved making and planning park operations. out of Kabale), and Kanungu where the Relationship between park edge residents and park Bwindi Impenetrable and management has also consistently improved due to Stephen Asuma Mgahinga Gorilla national community facing interventions e.g. tourism, nature parks exist. based enterprises and response to human wildlife conflicts through programs like Human Gorilla Over the years, IGCP in Conflict Resolution Programme (HUGO). collaboration with several partners has registered a number of results for instance; long-term protection The close collaboration with and participation of key of mountain gorilla habitat has been secured through stakeholders in finding solutions to problems related improved legal status; protected areas in Bwindi to gorilla conservation have been instrumental in Mgahinga Conservation Area have been protected from the successes registered. IGCP pledges to uphold further habitat degradation and loss through support this collaborationand support to communities, local to law enforcement, building capacity of the park government, and UWA in promoting conservation authority through good policies, training, provision of best practices. equipment and technical advice.

International Gorilla Conservation Programme Kigali International Airport Road A Coalition of 5th Floor, TELE 10 Building, Gishushu P.O. Box 931, Kigali-Rwanda +250 780 302 458 [email protected]

Field/Country Offices DRC: Goma Rwanda: Musanze Uganda:4 Kabale

International Gorilla Conservation Programme Newsletter | Dec 2016 | www.igcp.org